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Military experience is a resume booster all its own. From the unique
pressures of combat situations to the basic discipline required of even
the newest private, those who’ve been in service have developed special
skills that are useful in numerous civilian career fields.
Translating
one’s military skills to a civilian career can be direct. If you’ve
worked as a computer programmer in the Marines, for example, it’s clear
that kind of knowledge will help you land a similar job back home. But
other jobs rely on less self-evident skills. The hard work and
perseverance required in a military career can be tough to explain in a
line on a resume, but those skills can help you navigate challenges in
various careers.
Click ahead
to see just some of the jobs in which skills honed in the military can
be a real asset. Data on median pay and projected job-growth rates are
from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Firefighter
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Median annual pay as of 2018: $49,620 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 5%
Firefighters, like military personnel, need to be physically fit and willing to put themselves at risk in emergency situations. And there’s help out there for veterans interested in this career.
The nonprofit group Troops to Firefighters helps train, counsel and place veterans in these vital jobs. And additional programs, such as California’s Veterans Fire Corps and Montana’s Veterans Green Corps (which is currently assessing whether to continue), assist vets who want to pursue work fighting wildland fires.
Median annual pay as of 2018: $40,660 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 6%
Police, fire and ambulance dispatchers, like military service members, must keep calm under pressure and communicate clearly and authoritatively. And there’s help available to interested veterans.
Troops to Firefighters, the same nonprofit that helps veterans find work as firefighters, has a program aimed at helping vets in some states become certified 911 operators in just three weeks.
Median annual pay as of 2018: $63,380 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 5%
Much as military personnel serve their country under difficult and sometimes life-threatening circumstances, so too do police officers and detectives.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police notes that veterans who’ve served as military police or security forces have an especially applicable skill set, but other vets are also well-suited to the law enforcement field.
And, once again, there’s help out there. The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, operates Vets to Cops, a hiring program for military veterans.
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 5%
Firefighters, like military personnel, need to be physically fit and willing to put themselves at risk in emergency situations. And there’s help out there for veterans interested in this career.
The nonprofit group Troops to Firefighters helps train, counsel and place veterans in these vital jobs. And additional programs, such as California’s Veterans Fire Corps and Montana’s Veterans Green Corps (which is currently assessing whether to continue), assist vets who want to pursue work fighting wildland fires.
Emergency dispatcher
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Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 6%
Police, fire and ambulance dispatchers, like military service members, must keep calm under pressure and communicate clearly and authoritatively. And there’s help available to interested veterans.
Troops to Firefighters, the same nonprofit that helps veterans find work as firefighters, has a program aimed at helping vets in some states become certified 911 operators in just three weeks.
Police officer or detective
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| © John Roman Images / Shutterstock.com |
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 5%
Much as military personnel serve their country under difficult and sometimes life-threatening circumstances, so too do police officers and detectives.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police notes that veterans who’ve served as military police or security forces have an especially applicable skill set, but other vets are also well-suited to the law enforcement field.
And, once again, there’s help out there. The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, operates Vets to Cops, a hiring program for military veterans.
Security guard or gaming surveillance officer
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Median annual pay as of 2018: $28,530 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 4%
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers patrol and protect property.
Security guards work everywhere from shopping malls to hospitals, and gaming surveillance officers work in casino settings. The energy industry also needs security workers, and the Center for Energy Workforce Developent’s Troops to Energy Jobs initiative helps vets transition from active service to jobs in that field.
Median annual pay as of 2018: $34,320 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 7%
Military medics deal with everything from broken bones to blast injuries. Yet the civilian world doesn’t always make it easy for vets to transition into medical jobs.
Emergency medical news site EMS1.com reported last year that colleges aren’t sure how to interpret medical experience from military transcripts, and state EMS offices have their own requirements that vets must meet. But there are organizations, including Virginia’s Military Medics and Corpsmen Program, that help smooth the path.
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 4%
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers patrol and protect property.
Security guards work everywhere from shopping malls to hospitals, and gaming surveillance officers work in casino settings. The energy industry also needs security workers, and the Center for Energy Workforce Developent’s Troops to Energy Jobs initiative helps vets transition from active service to jobs in that field.
EMT or paramedic
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Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 7%
Military medics deal with everything from broken bones to blast injuries. Yet the civilian world doesn’t always make it easy for vets to transition into medical jobs.
Emergency medical news site EMS1.com reported last year that colleges aren’t sure how to interpret medical experience from military transcripts, and state EMS offices have their own requirements that vets must meet. But there are organizations, including Virginia’s Military Medics and Corpsmen Program, that help smooth the path.
Licensed practical or vocational nurse
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Median annual pay as of 2018: $46,240 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 11%
Health care is a common type of occupation for active-duty enlisted personnel, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so transitioning to a civilian job as a licensed practical or vocational nurse is a natural change.
Some health care organizations, such as HCA Healthcare, focus specifically on veteran recruitment. And it’s not just vets they’re looking to hire: HCA has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign as a founding coalition member.
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 11%
Health care is a common type of occupation for active-duty enlisted personnel, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so transitioning to a civilian job as a licensed practical or vocational nurse is a natural change.
Some health care organizations, such as HCA Healthcare, focus specifically on veteran recruitment. And it’s not just vets they’re looking to hire: HCA has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign as a founding coalition member.
IT jobs
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Median annual pay as of 2018: $86,320 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 12%
The military is more reliant on computers than ever, and those who’ve honed their information technology skills in the service can expect to transfer them to private-sector jobs.
In both the military and civilian world, computer and information technology occupations vary, from computer support specialists to database administrators to information security analyst positions. Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Cisco and other big-name tech companies have special programs focused on recruiting veterans, spouses and dependents.
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 12%
The military is more reliant on computers than ever, and those who’ve honed their information technology skills in the service can expect to transfer them to private-sector jobs.
In both the military and civilian world, computer and information technology occupations vary, from computer support specialists to database administrators to information security analyst positions. Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Cisco and other big-name tech companies have special programs focused on recruiting veterans, spouses and dependents.
Medical assistant
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Median annual pay as of 2018: $33,610 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 23%
Check out that 23% projected growth rate for medical assistant jobs! Workers in these positions perform administrative and clinical tasks in health care settings, and some are even able to enter the occupation with a high school diploma, picking up the skills needed through on-the-job training.
As with other medical positions, a good place to start is with health care organizations, such as HCA Healthcare, which focus specifically on veteran recruitment.
Median annual pay as of 2018: $60,320 per year for high school teachers; $57,980 for kindergarten and elementary school teachers
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 4% for high school teachers; 3% for kindergarten and elementary school teachers
This familiar bumper sticker slogan gets it right: “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” And, with the right training, leadership and communications skills learned in the military can translate into a teaching position.
Numerous programs exist to help veterans step in front of their own classrooms, including Troops to Teachers and Teach for America’s Military Veterans Initiative.
Median annual pay as of 2018: $23,730 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 8%
The chow may be better once you’re out of the military, but someone still has to prepare and serve it, and that work doesn’t change much from military base to trendy bistro.
Plus, the flexible hours that food preparation jobs offer may allow veterans and their families to shift their schedules to care for children or attend school.
Median annual pay as of 2018: $43,680 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 5%
Truck drivers keep the engines of commerce humming, delivering everything from car parts to groceries. And while the vehicles may be different, driving skills sharpened in the military are directly useful back in civilian jobs.
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 23%
Check out that 23% projected growth rate for medical assistant jobs! Workers in these positions perform administrative and clinical tasks in health care settings, and some are even able to enter the occupation with a high school diploma, picking up the skills needed through on-the-job training.
As with other medical positions, a good place to start is with health care organizations, such as HCA Healthcare, which focus specifically on veteran recruitment.
Teacher
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| © India Picture / Shutterstock.com |
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 4% for high school teachers; 3% for kindergarten and elementary school teachers
This familiar bumper sticker slogan gets it right: “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” And, with the right training, leadership and communications skills learned in the military can translate into a teaching position.
Numerous programs exist to help veterans step in front of their own classrooms, including Troops to Teachers and Teach for America’s Military Veterans Initiative.
Food preparation or serving jobs
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Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 8%
The chow may be better once you’re out of the military, but someone still has to prepare and serve it, and that work doesn’t change much from military base to trendy bistro.
Plus, the flexible hours that food preparation jobs offer may allow veterans and their families to shift their schedules to care for children or attend school.
Material-moving machine operator
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Median annual pay as of 2018: $35,850 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 4%
The military, like the civilian world, will always have a need for those who are capable of moving people and items from one place to another.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of the most common military occupations is transportation and material-handling, service members who transport military personnel and cargo. Specific jobs in that field, like cargo specialist, may include work similar to the civilian job of material-moving machine operators.
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 4%
The military, like the civilian world, will always have a need for those who are capable of moving people and items from one place to another.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of the most common military occupations is transportation and material-handling, service members who transport military personnel and cargo. Specific jobs in that field, like cargo specialist, may include work similar to the civilian job of material-moving machine operators.
Truck driver
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| © welcomia / Shutterstock.com |
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 5%
Truck drivers keep the engines of commerce humming, delivering everything from car parts to groceries. And while the vehicles may be different, driving skills sharpened in the military are directly useful back in civilian jobs.
Heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment mechanic and installer
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| © JP WALLET / Shutterstock.com |
Median annual pay as of 2018: $47,610 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 13%
The projected need for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment mechanics and installers over the next decade is in the double digits. Veterans who worked in mechanical-repair positions while in the service should find their skills translate well to these jobs.
But even without that background, training programs at technical and trade schools and community colleges can help prepare you. The Troops to Trades program helps veterans train for and find work in this industry, too.
Median annual pay as of 2018: $40,710 per year
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: minus 1%
Many military jobs involve work as a vehicle or machinery mechanic. Although, in the civilian world, employees are more likely to work on a Toyota than a tank, the skills learned in military service should transfer well to positions as automotive service technicians and mechanics.
Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: 13%
The projected need for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment mechanics and installers over the next decade is in the double digits. Veterans who worked in mechanical-repair positions while in the service should find their skills translate well to these jobs.
But even without that background, training programs at technical and trade schools and community colleges can help prepare you. The Troops to Trades program helps veterans train for and find work in this industry, too.
Automotive service technician or mechanic
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Projected job growth rate from 2018 to 2028: minus 1%
Many military jobs involve work as a vehicle or machinery mechanic. Although, in the civilian world, employees are more likely to work on a Toyota than a tank, the skills learned in military service should transfer well to positions as automotive service technicians and mechanics.
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